COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES C ham berlin; Arthur, married to M iss Alice D ieh l, daughter o f Joseph D ichI; Alice, mar ried to WiUiam H . Browne, a prominent attor n ey o f Philadelpliia; l^ u ra, married to Kcv. ^ h n D cW ilt, D. D., professor in Princeton T heological Sem inar)'; and Elizabeth Stewart, m arried to Lemuel E. W ells, o f New York. T h e only members of this fam ily living at the present writing are M rs. Brown, residing in Philadelpliia: and M rs. Lemuel E . Wells, now residing in DanviUe. Voung M en’s Christian Association T h ere had been an organization of the Y o u n g Men's Christian Association long prior to the building of the L ibrary and the Y . M . C. A . buikling. In 1872 an Association was or ganized in the Mahoning Presbyterian Church, an d the following officers were elected: Presi dent, Samuel C . B u tler; vice president, John S w e isfo rt; secretary, John R . R o te; librarian, H . H . Y orgy. T he first managers of that Association w ere: Jam es M . Coulter, William M cCorm ick, C. F . Lloyd, John Sw cisfort. C. P . Bradway. A fte r some years this Association w as abandonc<l and at the time the new building was erected there was no Association in existence. 'rh c experience o f most Young Men's Cliristian Associations is that an Association labors fu r some years in building up an organization until a building becomes a necessity. T h e ex perience of the Danville Association was just the reverse. A building was erected and then an As.sociation had to ^ made to fit it. This w a s more difficult than the ordinary experience. H ow ever, an organization was effected soon a ft e r the building was completed, and has been maintained to the present time. It has had its u p s and downs, especially its downs. .■t times th e possibility o f abandoning the work stared the ..ssociation in the face. A t last, however, in 19 12, M rs. A . A . Geis in ger came to the rescue and at a total cost of S32.OO0 so enlarged and improved the build ing that the Association w as able to offer much rcatcr advantages to young men than ever bcorc. The gymnasium was cnlargcil, a bowling alley was added and a swimming pool w as in stalled. The Iniilding w as opened wilh ap propriate exereiscs Ju ly 27. 19 13 . T he iircsent general secretary is Janies A. Klyth, and the physical director Gustave Lindner. T he general secretaries since the erection of the building have liccn: F . H. Townsend. J . T. Gillison, H. E . Dodge, George R. W aters,
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W alter A . Edw ards, W . D. Laum aster, George B . Bernhard, Samuel Miller, H . A . Messier, Jam es A . Blyth. George F . Geisinger M em orial Hospital Built upon a terrace at the foot of the range o f hills that bound Danville upon the norui, this handsome modem hospital occupies one of the commanding viewpoints for which the town is famou.s. p'rom this elevation the en tire valley in which lies the industrial borough o f Danville may be viewed. On the right the bold crest o f “ Baldlop” rears its majestic fo rm; with the high summit o f Montour ridge stretching down the riv e r; in front arc to be seen the turrets of the old but still beautiful G rove mansion, and beyond in the distance is the cluster o f great buildings that form the State Hospital fo r the Insane; while spread out to view between arc the homes and fac tories of the town for which this beneficent building w as constructed. The inspiration fo r this magnificent hospital came through the desire o f M rs. Abigail .A. Geisinger to perpetuate the memory o f her de parted husband, George Francis Geisinger, who wa.s one o f Danville’s roost substantial and useful citizens. N o more enduring .md utilitarian memorial could have been con ceived than an institution to relieve suffering and extend the lives of those of the citizens o f Danville whose means are insufficient to pay fo r the services of .specialists, or who need the prompt attention o f skilled suigcon.s at the moment when life hangs by only a thrc,id. It was during the early jiart o f September, 19 12, that M rs. Geisinger purchased (he tract o f five acres, part of the .Vlagill c.si,ate. upon which the hospital now stands; and in October following she liouglit nine more acres adjoin ing. in order to prevent encroaching residences shutting off the cliarming view from the oc cupants o f Ihe building. T he street upon which the building fronts w as gra<lc<l and the name o f Pleasant avenue given it. T his street is parallel with the Bloomsburg ra id and in a section that fo r many years has been unoccu pied by buildings. It is expected (hat a subdi vision o f which the town may well feel proud will soon be laid out surrounding the hospital. Planning fo r the Future.— lieforc the plans were drawn for the hospital Mrs. Geisinger selected a committee, consist ing o f Dr. J . M. Baldy, W. L . M cO ure and Thomas J . Price, to cooperate with the architect, John H. Bniglcr, in ihc prejiaration of the plans, Tliis commiitce visited Pliila-